The present invention generally relates to the field of data transfers, and particularly to the communication of streaming data.
Resource networks and, more particularly, the Internet and World Wide Web, offer a wider range of resources with each passing day. Online concerts, talk sessions, simulcasts, and other broadcasts have become increasingly more common. Given the direction of Internet technology, it may be possible to receive video programming directly over the Internet as opposed to a television broadcast. This may allow a viewer to choose programming as desired. However, even though connection speeds may continue to increase (connection speeds have already made significant improvements over speeds that even recently were deemed impressive), it is foreseeable that problems may continue with interruptions and data transfer slow downs. Problems with connections, throughput rates, line interference, etc. may cause interruptions and delays in the transfer of data. The time during which the data transfer is interrupted or slowed may result in blank screens and/or indecipherable output. A user must then wait for restoration of the connection so that enough data may be transmitted to the user""s system, therein enabling communication to resume.
To utilize streaming data (e.g., data that is transmitted in a fairly continuous series is one type of streaming data), it is necessary to have a sufficient amount of data present in a user""s information handling system for processing. Therefore, data must be transmitted at a sufficient rate or quantity so as to provide sufficient amounts of data to be utilized by the system. Buffering data such that inconsistencies in the streaming rate or quantity of streaming data will not affect the utilization of the data, is one way to address this problem. However, in some instances the buffer may not store sufficient data to cover the inadequacy of the transmission, such as a lack of throughput rate. For instance, a large quantity of data may be needed for communicating a data stream that includes video programming. This may require a large buffer that would further result in an extended waiting period as the buffer is filled before utilization. Additionally, the buffer may not be fully responsive to varying throughput rates, resulting in inconsistent communication of the streaming data. Therefore, it may be desirable to utilize another set of data so as to disguise the lack of sufficient amounts of streaming data currently available.
Other methods for addressing nonproductive times in an information handling system prove inadequate when addressing the communication of streaming data. Most of these methods merely address waiting periods for a system to perform a task, not the dynamic problems associated with transmission of data streams that may be utilized as it is being transmitted. Often, these methods rely on the initiation of an event, such as the initiation of a link to perform the desired action. In some instances, actions taken before and after the necessary event are not capable of utilizing the method. Additionally, in another method, the displayed information must have been previously stored on the system. These methods may not provide for the supply of data images during interruptions or slowdowns in the transfer of the data, nor provide for the viewing of the data as it is downloaded so that a user may interact with a data stream. Rather, these methods merely respond to the initiation of an action.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method for communication of a stream of data that addresses a potential lack of sufficient amounts of streaming data.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for the communication of streaming data. In an exemplary method of the present invention, a first set of data is received by an information handling system. A second set of data is received via a network wherein the second set of data is continuously streaming. So long as a sufficient amount of streaming data of the second set of data is available for communication, the second set of data is communicated to a user. Otherwise, the first set of data is communicated to the user. In an exemplary embodiment, the second set of data includes a video stream viewable by a user. In another embodiment of the present invention, the first data set and the second data set may be transmitted from a first source. In yet another embodiment, when a first set of data is being communicated due to a presently insufficient amount of streaming data of the second set of data, the second set of data may be monitored such that when a sufficient amount of streaming data is available, the second set of data will be communicated.